1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a system for toolless thermal print head mounting/removal, and more particularly, to a toolless thermal print head mounting apparatus including a print head mounting bracket having side slots and print head mounting stud holes, a floating cable clamp with shoulder pins configured to fit within the side slots and a dual key-slot capture latch disposed on the rear of the print head mounting bracket to capture mounting studs disposed on a print head.
2. Description of the Background
Thermal printers are used in a wide variety of applications. A recent trend in the use of such printers is in point of sale (“POS”) printing of sales receipts. Thermal printers provide for operation at a relatively fast printing speed without the need for ink. The thermal printers include a print head having a print face which typically consists of arrays of numerous heating elements. However, the heating elements may become worn after extended periods of use, making it necessary to periodically replace the print head. Traditionally, removal of a failed print head requires major disassembly of the printer. Therefore, quick and easy replacement of the thermal print head is desirable.
To address this issue, thermal printer manufacturers have attempted to differentiate themselves from their competitors by providing features that simplify a thermal print head replacement process. For example, manufacturers have introduced thermal printers with separate carriage assemblies including fastening structures wherein the carriages may be detached from the printer. However, although these carriage assemblies may simplify the thermal print head replacement process, these carriage assemblies considerably increase the size and cost of the print head component of their respective thermal printers.
In addition, tools are often required to remove the thermal print head from the thermal printer. The application of tools to the confined spaces of the thermal printer is a delicate task requiring precision from the user. This ultimately requires a large input of time and effort by the user to replace the thermal print head. Therefore, what is needed is a simpler and less expensive feature for a thermal printer which is used to replace the thermal print head quickly and easily without the use of tools.
In addition, it is highly desirable to have more than one component supplier for a component as critical as the thermal print head. The availability of a plurality of suppliers ensures that a continuous supply of print heads may be had and that competition among suppliers will ensure a low cost product. However, a problem arises in that the different suppliers may supply print heads having differing dimensions; this is especially true of intra-vendor variances in the vertical distance between a print line of the print head and the a cable connector of a print head. Therefore, what is needed is a print head mounting apparatus which can accommodate print heads having a wide range of dimensions.